Adjustable car-skid.



PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905.

F. H. MOELVAIN. ADJUSTABLE CAR SKID.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February 7, 19Q5,

PATENT OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE CAR-SK").

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,165, dated February '7, 1905,

Application no August a, 1904. Serial No. 219,693.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK HAROLD McEn- VAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Car-Skids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a skid adapted to be run under the car when not in use and drawn outwardly to a platform when in use.

The object of the invention is to so hang or connect the skid to a car that it can be readily placed in'position foruse and when not in use will be out of the way. i

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and arrangement of parts here inafter described, particularly pointed out in the claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the skid in position for use. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through a car, showing a skid on one side of the car in an inoperative position and the skid on the opposite side in position when used with a. platform above the plane of the car-floor. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a slight modification.

In the drawings, A represents the side of a freight-car, showing a portion of the doorway, and the side A and flooring of the car adjacent the doorway are cut away, as shown at A. In the recess thus formed is revolubly journaled a roller B.

A skid B is preferably formed of sheet metal having its rear edge portion bent or on rvcd over, as at B". The skid B is also provided with perforations B, through which a pin B is adapted to pass; the head preventing the pin from dropping entirely through the perforation in which itisinserted. The skid B is also cut out at B on its front edge to enable a better grasp to be obtained in handling it.

It is understood that a roller B and, skid B are arranged on each side of the car, and to the longitudinal beams A, extending under the car, are secured brackets C, which have an upwardly and outwardly inclined portion. in which the curved portion B of the skid rests when not in use.

In Fig. 3 I have shown an open rectangular metal frame D, which has its free ends curved over in the same manner that the end of the skid B is curved at B and on the frame D a wooden skid may be either temporarily laid or may be permanently attached.

When not in use, the skid B is shoved back' under the car and is supported by the bracket C. When it is desired to use the skid, it is drawn outward, traveling over the roller B, and the front edge is rested upon the platform upon which the contents of the car are to be unloaded or from which the car is to be loaded. T he rear curved marginal portion 13* in my preferred form or the curved end portions of the frame D in the modified form pres vent the entire withdrawal of the skid. When the platform is on a higher level than the carfloor, the skid is held in the proper position and prevented from sliding inward by the dropping of the pin B into one of the perforations B, as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen the skid is not in use, it is run inward through the cutout portion A and rests under the car-floor. being supported adjacent its front end by the roller and at its rear end by the bracket (J.

The construction herein described is duplicated on each side of the car. It may also be stated that in the drawings the track on which the car-door slides is omitted; but it will be obvious that the roller B, being set in the recess or cut out portion A, will be out of the way of the door, and when the skid is in the position shown in the left-hand side of Fig. 2 the car-door can be readily closed and will serve to prevent the skid accidental] y be ing projected outward.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the kind described comprising a roller, a bracket arranged to the rear of the roller. a skid adapted to travel on the roller, and means adapted to prevent withdrawal of the skid from engagement with the roller.

2. The combination with a car, having the side and flooring cut away adjacent the doorway, of aroller revoluhl y journaled in the said cut-out portion, a bracket carried by the car in the rear of said cut-out portion, and a skid adapted to be moved inwardly and outwardly upon the roller and to rest upon the bracket when in an inoperative position.

3. The combination with a freight-car having doorways and having the sides cut out ad jacent the said doorways, of rollers arranged in the said cut-out portions, brackets carried underneath the car, and skids adapted to move inwardly and outwardly through the cut-out portion and upon the rollers, and adapted to have their inner ends rest upon the brackets.

4. The combination with a freight-car having the sides and flooring out out adjacent the doorway, of a roller journaled in said cut-out portion, a perforated skid adapted to work in the cut-out portion and to travel upon a roller, brackets carried by the under face of the carfloor and adapted to support the inner end of the skid, and a locking-pin adapted to fit one of said perforations.

5-. The combination with a car having the cut-out portion adjacent a doorway, a skid having its rear-end marginal portion curved over, a roller journaled in the ends of the cutout portion of the car and adapted to support the skid, and the brackets carried by the under side of the car adapted to receive the curved portion of the skid when the skid is in an inoperative position.

FRANK HAROLD MoELVAIN.

Witnesses:

CLYDE KEssaLMAN, GEORGE MoELvAIN. 

